Friday, October 30, 2009

Halloween is tomorrow. Here at Penland, this is kind of a big deal. We have a party and everyone dresses up in handmade costumes. So far I've heard whisperings that a paint by numbers cat, a half polar bear half bridesmaid, and Brian Wilson will be attending.

Jason Burnett of Cakeboy Industries made this fantastic silkscreen poster featuring local legendary blacksmith Elizabeth Brim (with a leatherface mask) wielding a chainsaw. So tomorrow, Jason and I will be cutting up trash bags and splattering fake blood everywhere to set the mood. The theme is "rave to the grave" so get ready to do just that.

If you're in the area, there will a contest for best costume and the Scream Queen and King will be crowned. And yes, prizes will be awarded!

A couple years ago, I went as a Ghostbuster.

the beer in the pocket is a nice touch

This year, I will be once again mining a classic early 80's piece of film, this time Scanners. I'm not cool enough to be Darryl Revok so I'll be Kim Obrist, the female character in the movie.

So if you see someone dressed as a drab Canadian with a touch of grey and a nosebleed, that's me. Happy Halloween!

Friday, October 16, 2009

I took some time last week to update my website by adding new work and removing old work. Those of you familiar with my website will notice that there is no longer a photography section. I may not take pictures very much anymore, but I think the muted colors of a Polaroid will always be in my mind and in my work. Goodbye photography section.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

My friend Erika asked me to make a book with "goats and graph paper." I thought, yes, this is where it's at. This is a great commission. If anyone else would like any combination of paper types and animals, I will make it, because I had a lot of fun making this book. Thanks Erika!

It's official. I own a press. All 1,500 pounds of a Chandler & Price Old Style 10 x 15 platen press neatly disassembled in my grandmother's garage in New Jersey. It needs some cleaning. New rollers, new motor, but it's in good shape. No welds or other funny business.

The story begins one month ago. I saw a post on Craigslist for an old printing press in a basement for very, very cheap. I called the seller, told him I wanted it and would pick it up in a few weeks. Done and done. Crystal clear... right?

I said, I want that! I mean, don't you?

I won't go into all the details, but fast forward to last Friday, after driving ten hours from North Carolina, my boyfriend and I found ourselves stranded without the address to the house and with a seller who would not answer our phone calls. Not good.

The next morning, we got the address! But the seller had to go into work. We would not be able to start at 9 AM like we had planned. And then later he wouldn't answer our phone calls. Again. Not good.

So like any reasonable individuals would do, we just showed up. With a U-Haul. And the resolve to not leave without a press.

We got very lucky because the seller's brother-in-law showed up, let us in, called the seller and said, hey, these nice people just drove ten hours to give you money, maybe you should be here. Thank you brother-in-law.

We started taking apart the press at 5 PM and unloaded it a 1 AM. The move went fairly well, except for a few baffling moments. Like this classic.

Oh crap.

I'll just say, it's amazing what you can do with a few come a-longs and ratchet straps. Thanks to these brave men, Mike and Dave, we got this beast taken apart without turning anyone's legs into hamburger.

my boyfriend really knows how to roll up ratchet straps.

I really do want to say thank you to my friends and Mike for helping me do this. Thank you to all of you who lent me equipment, lugged things, drove hours and hours, and hung out in a dusty basement for six hours with me. I couldn't have done it without you.

I'll keep you posted on the process of putting this thing back together. If everything goes right, it 'll look something like this.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

I've had field books on the brain. I guess it all started a year ago when I bought a yellow spiral bound surveyor's field book for note taking in Asheville. They tend to made with a higher quality rag paper than most other sketchbooks and are fairly waterproof. Their bright colors, lined papers, and rounded corners also make them attractive. I'm starting to incorporate elements of their style in my own books. Simplicity, utility, and quality!